Saturday, April 12, 2014

I haven't written here in ages, but I thought I would post about this, since the information available on the subject through official channels is so woefully inadequate. I was able to piece together what I needed to bring to the appointment by gathering info from various sources, but still made some mistakes. Maybe this will help someone else, or at least help myself when I have to do it again next time, assuming they haven't changed it again.

Depending on circumstances, someone else might need different documents. In my case, it is to renew the card, which was granted due to my being the spouse of a Spanish citizen.

So first of all, instead of waiting in line outside the local police station before it opens in order to get an appointment for some day in the future, I was able to get an online appointment. There are apparently four offices that do this, one in the south, one in the north, one in the east, and one in Madrid Capital.

To my appointment I had to bring:

1) My passport and a photocopy of each and every page of it. Since I had gotten a new passport since the last time I renewed my Tarjeta, the person who attended me mentioned that I might need to present my old passport as well, but that didn't turn out to be the case. However, it couldn't hurt to bring it just in case.

4) Volante de empadronamiento in which husband and I both appear. This was NOT on the list from the government website, but someone else had mentioned it in a blog post so I brought it, and they did ask for it. I assume this has to be fairly recent, as well-- mine was from January. And, of course, photocopy.

The website mentioned that the fees must be paid before the card is issued, so I surfed around trying to track down the fee, and found the form that is for renewing the Tarjeta de Familiar de Unión Europea, took it to the bank, and paid 10,50€. However, apparently the form I used (Modelo 790, código 052) was not the right one: Modelo 790, código 012. Despite being the same price and for the same purpose, apparently the one I needed goes through the police and the other one through some other organism. So I had to file a request to have the money I paid returned to me. The proper fee form was given to me.

Apparently it was not necessary to bring the receipt of having paid this tax with me to this appointment, nor was it necessary to bring the photographs listed on the document list. I was given an internet address where I have to check the status of my file, and when it is listed as approved, I need to make an appointment to have my fingerprints atken at a local police station, where I will also present the photos, husband's DNI and copy, my passport and copy of first page of same, and receipt of having paid the fee.

Nothing about this second step was listed online. They do mention that for complete infomation you should go to the office where you have the appointment and ask them, but seeing as how it is in a different city and only open during normal work hours, when I am, of course, working, that is hardly possible. Luckily I had yesterday off for Semana Santa.

Also, in theory you are supposed to do all of this the month prior to your card expiring, but mine had expired a week earlier and they didn't say anything to me about it.

Thursday, September 05, 2013

Getting Ready

So I finally have a tentative class list (23 students), and schedule. I will be teaching English to my group, another third grade, and two 3-year olds groups. Also to my own group I will be teaching Math, Language Arts (Spanish), Art, and Alternative to Religion for those whose families have opted them out of Religion class. I do not get to teach Science/Social Studies, which is too bad, though it does mean a bit less work for me.

Also I will have to practice a lot for teaching long division, because here they set the problems up a different way and I'm still used to doing it my way.

Still lots to do before Monday, but we are going to be away all weekend for the the village fiestas Should be interesting.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Dani, like Elías before him, is a vocalizer. He accompanies his play with a stream of chatter, made-up songs, snips of dialogue, etc. The other day (July 8) I wrote down a bit of his playtime monologue for posterity. Actually I should have called this post "trilingual play"...:

Tuesday, June 04, 2013

So I was just importing all my Google Reader subscriptions into a new reader (which is actually called "The Old Reader": http://theoldreader.com/). Since it imported all of the blogs I ever subscribed to, I had to go through and delete a bunch of blogs that are no longer active, or that I no longer am interested in. Which reminded me, "Oh yeah, I used to have a blog, too!"

Obviously I haven't been blogging lately. I am using Facebook, but am not really doing much with that either. Definitely no Twitter. Does this mean I've lost the urge to "put stuff out there" for whoever may happen to see it? Maybe, for now. But I'm not quite ready to let go. I have kept in my feed some blogs that have been inactive for several months, just in case they start up again. So I am posting this now, just in case: just in case I decide to start up again, and just in case anyone is still subscribed to this blog and wondering whether or not it has been completely abandoned. Almost, but there is still a flicker of life left...

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Updating

So right now most of those shelves are filled with student textbooks, and there are some books for reading on the bookshelf closest to the door. I have some rules posted on the green board next to the shelves, and a few things on the blackboard, but that's about it.

I have yet to use the IWB, but I want to figure it out ASAP because I think it will be a real help-- even if it's just projecting the student book on the screen. I can also use it for a "morning message" type thing, which had me kind of stumped since they don't have big pads of chart paper and I don't have time to write much on the board in the morning.

It has been quite a challenging week-- I have had some good moments, but lots of really hard ones. Aside from the ordinary issue of getting into a groove with the textbooks (Wednesdays they have the whole morning with me, doing Language Arts, Math, and Science/Social Studies, mostly via exercises in the book-- deadly!) it is also a difficult group for a number of reasons I won't share here. (Incidentally, I never did set up a password-protected blog-- I just don't think I will have the time to write much. I do need to keep anecdotal records and class diaries etc. on paper, but online, probably won't get to it.) Anyway, today after classes finished I went over to the teacher who had this group for the past two years to see if she had any suggestions, and she and her grade level partner offered support and said I was in for a really tough year. Oh joy. Let's see if I can get through it okay (and hopefully Inspection won't come until things are a bit more under control...)

Budget cuts have meant that not only is the school down one teacher from what they had last year, but also when someone is absent no subs are called until the absence has gone on for more than ten school days. In the meantime, we have to sub for each other in our "free" periods (which aren't really free, because in October we start up with tutoring small groups of struggling students in that time.) I only have two per week, and the first week of school I already had to sub for a small-group alternative to religion class of 3rd graders. I was going to have to do a 4th grade science class another day, but that day I had to leave early to get some paperwork done so I didn't do it. I suppose it could be a good way to get experience with different grade levels. I know my grade level partner will be out tomorrow, so I may end up subbing for one of her classes (either with her students or with one of the other classes she teaches-- like me, she also teaches two sections of 2nd grade English and one English for 5-year olds.)

And now I should be preparing for tomorrow, rather than blogging! TGIF (or, TGIAlmostF!)

ETA: But of course I had to check the teaching forum, and yet another budget measure was confirmed. If we miss work due to a medically-justified absence, we lose 50% of our daily pay for each of the first three consecutive days out. From day 4 to day 20, we get paid 75%, and after that, we get full pay for subsequent consecutive days. However, the money they are saving due to our illness/accident/etc will not be used to pay subs who can adequately attend our students-- since, as I mentioned earlier, subs will not be sent until ten consecutive days of absence.

Friday, September 07, 2012

My classroom

Well, between meetings and other things, I wasn't able to decorate my classroom this morning, and they kicked us out at 1 for cleaning so I won't be able to do anything before classes start on Monday. However, most classes are pretty bare at the moment so I'm not the only one. Here are a few photos:

This one (above) was taken from my desk, which is in the back corner. The door you see is not the one we will be using, which is at the other end of the green shelves.

Here you can see the Interactive Whiteboard next to the chalkboard. There is also one in the computer room and one in the music room, but mine is the only classroom that has one. I don't know how to use it yet, but I will definitely learn! I think most teachers don't use it, but I do want to once I can get some time to figure out how it's done.

This is the view from that unused door looking back at my desk.

We have to go to the village for the weekend to take MIL back and because it's the fiestas this weekend, but I'm bringing a big bag of work!

Today is also the kids' (my kids-- not my students) first day of school, but they don't get out until 5. MIL reports that they all went off happily this morning, so hopefully they had a good day!